Celtic Tree of Life - Symbolism
Original Artwork & Text by Welsh artist Jen Delyth ©1990 - 2010
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Jen Delyth ©1990 - 2010

The Celtic Tree of Life is an original design
by Welsh artist Jen Delyth ©1990 kelticdesigns.com

TREE OF LIFE Y Goeden Bywyd
Design & Text by Jen Delyth ©1990

The Ancients envisioned the entire cosmos in the form of a tree whose roots grow deep in the ground, branches reaching high into the heavens.

Britain was once covered in extensive oak forest, and reverence for Trees is at the heart of Celtic spirituality. Druids had their teaching centers in the midst of Oak groves, and the words for wood and wisdom are similar (Welsh gwydd and gwyddon). The Celtic Druids, priestesses and healer-women encoded their deep knowledge of trees and herbs into an ancient cryptic Tree alphabet - an Ogham ciper — Beth Luis-Nuin. The ‘Tree of Life’ is an esoteric philosophy common to many cultures and mythologies. Also known as the World Tree, the primal Mother Tree was regarded as all-nourishing, all-giving, involved in the creation of the universe and the origin of the first man and woman. In the border motif (adapted from the Book of Kells — a medieval manuscript) the pot represents this Source, or Earth Womb, also symbolized as the Grail, or Cauldron of Regeneration in Celtic mythology. The interlacing branches symbolize the Celtic belief in the Continuity of Life. text by Jen Delyth©1990

The Celtic Tree of Life image is perhaps Jen Delyth's most well known and appreciated designs that she created in 1990.
This is an original, contemporary design, not based on any ancient or modern Celtic pattern. It is taking root as a modern Celtic Folk motif to speak of the interconnection of all living things - however, it is not a public domain image. Any published variations on this image are derivitive of Jen's original Tree of Life, and are not based on ancient designs which do not exist except in vine and vessel abstractions. COPYRIGHT

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Celtic Art by Welsh Artist Jen Delyth
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